In Hope
by Rigs Stargazer
Summary: A story of hope sprung from the actions of evil. R/Hermiony Harry is side lined. First fic but any and all comments good or bad are welcome.


DISCLAIMER: OK the characters, locations are JK ROWLING's and anything else that people are likely to sue me for are all theirs. The story on the other hand is mine. Feel free to post it anywhere but only with this disclaimer attached and NO PROFIT MADE FROM IT.  
  
In Hope By Rigs  
  
"It is done master" Wormtail cowered before the towering form of Voldemort "But if you will forgive me master, why did you wish me to accelerate the powers of the boy. Wouldn't it add to the threat rather than remove him from it."  
  
"YOU DARE TO QUESTION ME!?"  
  
Wormtail whimpered. "Not question, my lord, forgive me, but seek to understand."  
  
"Then, fool, I shall tell you. When the boy gains his power he will not gain the ability to use or control it. They will become unpredictable, dangerous. No wizard would trust him and those who do will get hurt. Mr Potter" he spat the word " will never recover."  
  
His cruel, high laughter ripped at the air as the servant trembled.  
  
"Well done Mister Weasley that is a good cloak" she held it up to the class "see how Mister Weasley has even managed to get the pattern on the back to look exactly like the cat he used."  
  
As professor McGonagall moved off to look at other students work, Ron looked across Harry and Hermiony. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of Transfiguration."  
  
"You're doing a lot better than me." To emphasise his point Harry stroked the cloak he was wearing and it proceeded to purr violently.  
  
Hermiony looked puzzled. "Have you been practicing?"  
  
Ron shook his head. "No way, that's more your style ,swot. I only do the absolute necessary."  
  
"I can vouch for that. He's one of the laziest wizards I know." Harry was now trying to calm his cloak, which was attracting attention by meowing loudly.  
  
At the end of class the three friends made their way to the great hall for lunch. Ron was stealing glances at Hermiony but she seemed not to notice. Last year Ron had realised what he felt for Hermiony, love. Now he was a sixth year, all three of them were prefects, and he had privately vowed to ask her out. The first term had been and gone and Voldemort had been less active than usual, and yet he still hadn't plucked up the courage.  
  
At dinner Draco Malfoy and his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, came over to the Griffindor table on the pretext of borrowing something.  
  
"Hello Potter." Malfoy's drawl was cold and hard, no emotion at all. "Weasley, how's the owl, still whizzing about? Surprising how long an owl that small can last on the food you can afford to give him."  
  
"Shut up Malfoy." Harry reached for his wand but Ron stopped him.  
  
"Ignore him"  
  
"And the Mud-Blood" Ron froze as Draco turned his attention toward Hermiony. " I still think Dumbledore's a fool to let filthy scum like you in" his face was turning crimson. "You leave a dirty stench wherever you go." The words seemed to echo and reverberate and amplify in his head, he couldn't stand for Draco to speak like this. "You disgust m."  
  
Ron couldn't take it anymore, he wheeled around and Draco turned to face him. "Take that back Malfoy" his tone was even but menacing,  
  
Harry and Hermiony watched in awe. Ron had never done anything like this before and they were too shocked even to try and stop him.  
  
"Why should I, Weasley? Will you run your precious Dumbled."  
  
Draco was knocked to the ground by the force of the blow, but Ron didn't even have his wand out, no one did.  
  
"Take - it - back" an edge was in his voice that no one had heard before. Crabbe and Goyle advanced on Ron but they found themselves lying next to their leader  
  
Though scared Draco didn't give in. "Ooooh a new trick Weasley, who taught you that? The Mud-" He choked.  
  
Ron was standing over him. "If you call her that one more time you and your friends will know what its like to meet a very large spider in the forbidden forest."  
  
"RON! STOP!" Hermiony's voice caught him and he realised what was happening, he was killing them, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, they were choking. He stopped, and backed away from the other students who were looking at him with genuine fear in their eyes.  
  
"Ron, where are you going?" Harry stepped toward his friend.  
  
"NO! stay away!" Ron pushed back and Harry was thrown across the great hall. "I'm sorry!" Ron turned and ran out of the room.  
  
"Where is he now?" Dumbledore swept passed Harry, out of his office, and started down the stairs.  
  
"In the Transfiguration classroom sir, no one can get in through the door" Harry was visibly distressed.  
  
"I never knew that he would stoop this low, to play with the powers of a wizard, a teenaged wizard come to that. Voldemort, Harry that's who is responsible for this. He has accelerated Ronald Weasley's powers, one of the only spells in the world that is irreversible."  
  
By now Dumbledore, flanked by Harry and Hermiony arrived outside the closed door to the Transfiguration classroom.  
  
"Mister Weasley?"  
  
A muffled acknowledgement was heard from within.  
  
"I'm going to come in to talk to you alright?" Dumbledore reached for the doorknob and received a jolt that made him let out exclamation of pain.  
  
"I'm sorry but no one can come in its too dangerous, I'll hurt someone badly, I nearly killed Malfoy and his friends."  
  
"Harry, come here." Dumbledore and Harry went off and talked, and as they did so, Hermiony approached the door. As she reached for the knob she saw Dumbledore hold Harry back and stop him from calling out to her. Her hand gripped the knob and the jolt of pain hit her, burning through every cell of her body.  
  
She held on, kept silent, though the pain was excruciating. She turned the knob.  
  
He was sitting in the middle of the room and looked up at her as she entered. "NO! I don't want to hurt anyone" he moved back into the corner "I'm dangerous."  
  
Hermiony didn't stop walking toward him, her eyes locked with his. "You are not dangerous" her voice was calm.  
  
Ron panicked. "I AM!" a chair flew passed Hermiony's head and smashed on the wall of stone behind her, she didn't flinch, her eyes were still locked with his." DON'T!! I'M DANGEROUS!"  
  
As the next chair came even closer to hitting her, Hermiony moved to his side, she reached out and held his hand. He tried to snatch it back but she held it firmly. "I'm so scared, I don't want to hurt anyone." He started sobbing and tears ran down his cheeks. "I was alone."  
  
"Hermiony lifted his head and looked him in the eyes. "You were never alone, and you never will be, you have me. I love you" She kissed him and held him. She felt his pain, his joy. The power was there, she sensed it, a raw power, but now it was controlled, reigned in..  
  
They kissed a final time and Hermiony lead Ron out through the door out to the edge of the lake,  
  
Harry and Dumbledore followed them. A precession of students flocked to the front of the castle. "How did she."  
  
Dumbledore's hand rested on his shoulder "Love, Harry. She knew he would not harm her because he loved her too much, even though he thought he had no control. As I have said to you before, to love and be loved so deeply will give us some protection forever."  
  
Ron held out his hand and touched it to Hermiony's wand.  
  
"In Hope."  
  
He called it so all the assembled teachers and students could hear. From his hand and from Hermiony's wand came the image of a lightning bolt, exactly like that of Harry's scar. Harry joined them and used the incantation to produce his own emblem. One by one more rose into the air, they rose from teachers, students and the pink umbrella of Hagrid. House elves conjured it, centaurs in the forbidden forest magiked it.  
  
"Voldemort, you fool." Hermiony thought as she gazed into Ron's eyes "you've given us a powerful weapon now, you've given me my love and you've strengthened our bond. In time you will fall, and you will see us at his side."  
  
With a wave of Ron's hand all of the lightning bolts converged. The sign went over the whole wizarding world, striking fear into Voldemort's followers and giving hope to all others.  
  
Ron turned to Hermiony and, with a smile, said "So, I was wandering if you were free for a date sometime." She looked thoughtful, then kissed him. "Is that a yes?"  
  
FIN 


End file.
